What does an owner of a movie theater do in the middle of the Covid pandemic when they can’t show indoor movies? They sell movie popcorn!
And so this is exactly what the owners of Minnesota’s Millennium Theater did when all movie theaters were suddenly closed last year due to the pandemic. They added a commercial style kitchen to prepare the movie style popcorn to sell to their patrons. (Source)
The backstory…
Erich and Jayme Winter bought the Millennium Theater back in 2017. However, they no sooner completed remodeling and upgrading it when Covid forced all the movie theaters closed.
So what to do when the movie theater is closed and no customers are allowed in?
Bring the popcorn out to them!
They came up with the idea to sell popcorn on weekends via a popcorn hot line and then took the phone orders. The first night they sold 50 bags and provided curb side delivery service to their customers.
Apparently the word got out because the next night there were orders for 170 bags.
This past summer they set up a pop-up drive-in theater in their parking lot.
Today they make more than 60 popcorn flavors.
They also got the good idea to sell gift packages of their popcorn for holiday gifts to their loyal customers.
Eventually their goal is to sell it at local supermarkets and convenience stores as well as at the Millennium Theater.
This is American Entrepreneurship at its finest
Joe Wolpin of Fundraising Zone (website), helps schools raise money with popcorn fundraising programs. He tells us this was a smart idea for the Millennium Theater because of the USA’s love affair with popcorn. He says, “The average American eats up to 68 quarts of popcorn each year. Local communities like those in Minnesota love to support small businesses like this.”
Wolpin continues, “This is also why popcorn makes such a great holiday gift. Furthermore, it is the reason why schools, churches and sports teams and even an arts council hold annual popcorn fundraisers.”
He concludes, “I wish the Winter family all the success in the world.”
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Website: https://www.fundraisingzone.com/brochure-fundraisers/7-dollar-caramel-popcorn/